Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-19
ROCK OF GIBRALTAR.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN AND
ITS DEfENSES.
The Natural Caverns OF the Rock and
Its System of Tunneled GalIeries-The


Hts system OF Iunneled Gaiferies-1n ne
Finest Garrison in the World-Noted
| Sieges.
There is no port on the European station
| hailed with more delight by the crew Of an
| American man of war than is Gibraltar. Let
! 100 tars 60 over the side on liberty with q
months paw in their monk bags and depend
on it the Scotch Highlanders will soon be
singing yankee Doodle" to the tune set by
the jolliest crowd of tars that ever stepped
| ashore
| Though Gibraltar has not been subjected
| to the attacks of war vessels of the present
day, still it has withstood a siege before
which no other fortress in the world could
have held out. Since that famous siege of
the last century everything has been done to
make the place. humanity speaking, impreg-
| nable.
| The "rock" itself is not more than seven
| miles in circumference, and its elevation
above the sea, at the highest point, does not
exceed ], 400 feet. The town is situated on
| the western slope, for On all other sides the
ascent is very preciptous. The isthmus
| which connects Gibraltar with the mainland
| is little more than a mile wide and it is on
| this isthmus that the famous neutral ground
is marked off by the two parallel rows of
English and Spanish sentry boxes. Apart
from the position of the "rock, it is greatly
strengthened by the presence of remarkable
natural caverns with which it is perforated.
These caverns are all difficult of access. The
largest, st. Michael's, has hall hung with
stalactltes reaching from roof to floor. Its
entrance is ! 900 feet above the level of the
sea, and it is connected with other caverns
beneath it of unknown depth. No doubt the
presence Of these natural caverns suggested
the idea to the British of excavating and tu1-
neling the rock"
GALLERIES AND FLATS"
system of galleries has been cut facing
the harbor and neutral ground at an enor-
nous expense. Much Of this work was car
ried on by prisoners At intervals of twelve
yards ports have been cut for guns, and some
OF the ordnance mounted is of very heavy
caliber The galleries are tunneled in tiers,
and several extend to q distance of two or
three miles, being wide enough to admit Of
the OK carts Of the fort On the western slope
there are many level spots, but the "bats" Of
Gibraltar are near the top of the crock" 1t
is here that the infantry is drilled and exer-
cised. The garrison consists of nearly 5000
men, and it has always been the custom at
the "Horse guards" in London, to send out a
great many Highlanders to Gibraltar, though
they do not compose tho whole force. This
garrison is one of the hardest drilled in the
British service, and the men are usually the
pick Of the army. The feeling Of pride will
allow only the flower Of the British troops to
hold Gibraltar. Report has it that Gen.
Grant considered this garrison the finest body
of men Of any he saw during his tour around
the world"
There are a great number of Moors and |
Jews here besides the English, and not few |
Spaniards. All foreigners visiting the town
are required to take out a permits de sejour,
and must find bondsmen to go security for |
their good behavior during the ten, fifteen or |
twenty days for which the permit is made |
out However, this may be renewed after |
the expiration Of the time limit. The au-
thorities prevent as much as possible any &C
QUESTION in the way Of new residents This |
is to the town only. Inside the limits Of the |
barracks no strangers are admitted after
nigh II. The officers, however, may intro
duce a friend for period of a month, but
are held in strict account for all his actions.
Justice is administered according to the laws
of England, but there is prevailing spirit of |
the military court martial in all the proceed
ngs of the court. The air militaire is incul-
more than an apparent seeming.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
The majority of the houses in the town are
built with fat tops, which enable the inhabi-
tants to secure a considerable amount of
rain water. Tanks are built under the
buildings and are fitted with drains leading
from the roofs. 1t is the water supply which
has always proved of vital Importance to
but x,a th,r: Io, G,,o |
mastered the question, and the "rock" is now
well provided with good water. Two large
tanks. one containing 5000 and the other
II 600 gallons, are kept constantly full With
which to supply naval vessels.
Gibraltar stands to-day the KEY to the
Mediterranean, and is the center of that line
of fortresses which connect Great Britain
with those enormous fields of wealth in the
East Indies. The stragetic importance Of the
position was observed by the Saracens as far
back as III A. D., and under leader named
Lorik fen Leyad landed and fortified the
place in that year. During period Of 200
years from its first acquisition by the Sara
Gems Gibraltar was held either by Moors or
Saracens, and was constant cause of war
between these two races In 1462 Spanish
force under the Duke of Medina Sidonia
wrested the fortress from the Moors and so
strengthened it as TO be considered impregna.
BILE. But in 1904 the combined English and
Dutch fleet, under Sir George Rock and the
Prince of Hesse- Darmstadt, took the ''rocks
from the Spaniards and held it until 1713,
when it was confirmed TO Great Britain by
the treaty of Utrecht. The Spaniards would
not let Gibraltar go without another struggle,
and attacked the garrison in 1927; but a ces-
sat.on of hostilities soon came about ON the
signing of preliminaries of peace between
Spain and England.
The noted siege, which lasted from 1179 to
1883, marks one Of the greatest annals in
British military history, and never did troops
win greater renowu than the famous garrison
that held Gibraltar against the combined
forces Of France and Spain. All the imple-
ments of modern warfare were used by the
beSegers, but the ''rock' proved impregna-
bic. Capt. Drinkwater, of the British army,
is authority for stating that / 600 guns were
brought to bear by the allies, and that in the
outer harbor were anchored forty-seven ships
Of the line, carrying the ensigns of France
and Spain.
British troops may never again be called
% Il, leo stxa,- IA - !